Article rotating apparatus



July 9, 1946.

"s. c. HURLEY, JR

ART I OLE ROTAT ING APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1944 w r N 5 5M w a 0 kPatented July 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE ROTATINGAPPARATUS Samuel C. Hurley, J r., Danville, Ill. Application July14,1944, Serial No. 544,959 r for guiding the article to be rotated intothe proper position for rotation, engaging the article with the,rotating means, and disengaging the article from the rotating meansafter thedesired operation has been performed, thereby stopping therotation of the article without the necessity ofstopping the rotatingmeans.

A further object of the invention is to engage and disengage rotatingarticles with a high-speed rotating spindle without the necessity foraltering the speed 01 the spindle.

9 Claims. (01. 3214-1) the rollers, extending through a holelongitudinal thereto; or may form an integral part of the roller.Although in the preferred embodiment, the rotating axis of the rollersis vertical, it is understood that they could with the properredesigning be placed ona horizontal axis or at.

any angle desired depending upon the position of the machine and themanner of introducing the article to be rotated. In general, the axis ofthe rollers is parallel with the rotating spindle 8. Thepreferred shapeof the rollers is'right cylindricalwith one beveled'or tapered end ofgreater diameter than the cylindrical part.

Bearings 4 and 5 are fixed in bearing yoke 9.

The bearing yoke may be mounted on plate Ill fastened to the frame ofthe machine. The rotating spindle 8 is equipped with a driving nose llwhich may contain a clutch lining I2 against Broadly, the inventioncomprises an improvement in an apparatus for spinning an article,including a rotating means, e. g., a rotating spindle and means forengaging the article with the rotating means. The improvement comprisesa guide means which comprises tapered idler rollers engageable with androtatable by the article whenthe article is rotatably. engaged with therotating means, the larger end of the taper being adjacentthe rotatingmeans whereby the rotating article will ride along the taper of theroller and out of contact with the rotating means when the engagingmeans is released, thereby disengaging the article from the rotatingmeans and stopping the spinning motion of the article.

' In a preferred embodiment, at least three rollers are used, at leastone of which is tapered and preferably all three are tapered. Theposition of the rollers in relation to each other will depend upon themethod of introducing the article into the machine.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 is a top view of a simplifiedrepresentation of the improved apparatus.

Fig.'2 is an elevation of Fig. 1 taken through line 22, partly cut awayto show a detail of the driving nose. An article to berotated is inposition.

Figure 3 illustrates an alternate form of roller.

Referring to Fig. 1, rollers I, I, and 3 are mounted on bearings 4, 5and 6; as illustrated, all three rollers have a taper I at the lowerend. The bearings 4, 5, and 6 maybe separatefrom which the article isforced when it is being rotated.

The engaging means may comprise a carriage l3 which maybe raised andlowered by appropriate means not shown. A bearing assembly which maycomprise ball bearings in a suitable race, is mounted in the lower endof the carriage. A nose piece l5 which may be shaped in such a manner asto engage the article to be rotated is mounted in the lower end ofcarriage l3 in such a manner as'to be raised and lowered as desired'withthe carriage. The nose piece 15 is mounted so that it bears upon androtates freely within bearing [4 when the carriage I3 is brought intoposition to force nose piece l5 against the article 11. When thecarriage is lowered, the article is forced against the clutch lining 12on the driving nose II. The article and the nose piece 15 rotate atsubstantially the same rate as spindle 8, hence the bearing between nosepiece l5 and bearing l4 must be accurate and freemoving with little-friction.

This device is particularly adapted to use in connection with round orcylindrical articles, The article H is placed in position in zone it.The operation of the mechanism may be best described if reference ismade first to Fig. 1. The article may be introduced in this particularap paratus from a position to the left and toward the upper part of Fig.l'through a chute or other feeding mechanism, not illustrated forpurposes of simplification. As the article slides or is pushed intoposition into zone l6, it rests on the tapered edges 1 of roller 1, 2,and 3, rollers I and 2 being mounted on fixed bearings and beingequi-distant from the center of zone It on either side of the centerline and designed to center the article in position over the spindle anddriving nose. Roller 3 may be positioned on a lin passing through thecenter of Zone l6 perpendicular to a line drawn through the centers ofbearings 4 and 5; thus the center of bearing 6 is at the apex of atriangle, the base of which is formed by a line drawn through thecenters of bearings 4 and 5. One side is formed by a line through thecenter of bearings 5 and 6 and the other side is formed by a linethrough the center of bearings 4 and 6. Bearing 6 is mounted in bearingyoke l8 but, because of the manner in which it is mounted, floatsslightly. The holes [9, through which pass the bolts holding the bearingyoke to the plate II], are slightly Oblong in shape so as to permit theroller to move back and forth slightly. The shape of the holes H! aregreatly exaggerated for purposes of illustration. Th position of bearingyoke I8 and hence of roller 3 ma be controlled by fiat spring 22 mountedon the frame of the machine to thrust against yoke l8, and by thetension put on springs 23 mounted on bolts 26, by screwing down thenuts. Thus, when the article to be rotated is pressed into position bylowering carriage l3, it pushes the piece along roller 3 and thrustsroller 3 in a direction away from the center of zone l6, permitting thearticle to engage the surface of clutch lining l2 in driving nos H.Since spindle 8 is spinning, the article, as well as nose piece i5, isrotated. Rollers l, 2, and 3, being in contact with the piece, are alsoset into motion and spin with the piece.

As soon as the operation upon the article is complete and carriage I3 israised to permit the piece to disengage, roller 3 is pushed back intoposition by means of spring 22. Immediately the piece, which is restingfirmly against the taper 1, travels upward along the taper since thereis no longer any counteracting force on the top of the article. Thislifts the piece away from clutch lining I2 and, because no force isbeing applied to spin the piece, the friction quickly causes the articleto stop spinning. In one embodiment, the next piece to be placed inposition may be fed by any desired means into zone l6 and may push thearticle just handled out into a chute, the channel for which isindicated as 2|. One of the greatest uses of my invention is inconnection with photoelectric inspection machines. The particularmethods of feeding the pieces into Zone l6 and removing the piece aredescribed as feasible methods for conducting the operation. The piecesmay be dropped into position and/or removed mechanically, or by hand,depending on the type of operation being carried out and the rapiditywith which the articles must be fed.

This apparatus is particularly useful in conjunction with the rotationof a piece which must be inspected. For example, certain complicatedtiming and actuating mechanisms are put in condition for service bybeing rotated at speeds of 4000-5000 R. P. M. Machines equipped with myinvention may be used to determine whether parts or all of the mechanismare properly operable and to reject those which are defective. It isparticularly adapted to use with relatively small articles of a round orcylindrical character.

A major advantage of this invention lies in the fact that it permits therotating mechanism to continue to turn at a constant speed rather thanto stop its rotation in order to position and remove the article eachtime. It is especially advantageous when the spindle must turn at highspeeds, for example, above 1,000 R. P, M., where the starting andstopping of the spindle would occupy too much time and power.

Although I have described a simplified modification of my invention andindicated certain uses, it should be kept in mind that othermodifications and uses come within its scope and I do not intend it tobe limited by the illustrations given.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for rotating. an article, said apparatus comprising arotating means including a spindle and means for engaging the articlewith the rotating means, the improvement comprising a guiding anddisengaging means comprising at least three idler rollers having atleast a portion of their length tapered, the center axes of which aresubstantially parallel the axis of rotation of the article, said rollersbeing engageable with and rotatable by the article when the latter isrotatably engaged with the rotating means, the larger end of the tapersbeing adjacent the rotating means whereb the rotating article will ridealong the roller and out of contact with the rotating means When theengaging means is not actuated thereby preventing the article fromengaging with the rotating means without the application of additionalforce thereupon, and resilient means urging one of said rollers towardthe axis of rotation of said article.

2. In an apparatus for rotating an article comprising a rotating meansincluding a rotating spindle and means for engaging the article with therotating means, a guiding means comprising at least three idler rollershaving at least a portion of their length tapered, the center axis ofwhich are substantially parallel to the axis of the rotation of thearticle, said rollers being engageable with and rotatable by the articlewhen the latter is rotatably engaged with the rotating means, the largerend of the taper being adjacent the rotating means, two of said rollersrotating around fixed bearings, a movable support comprising bearings inwhich the third of said rollers is mounted, means for guiding saidsupport and limiting its motion toward and away from the center of thearticle being rotated to the extent of the taper when said engagingmeans is operated, resilient means urging said support toward saidarticle normally to prevent the article from engaging said rotatingmeans unless the engaging means is applied, whereby the rotating articlewill ride along the taper with the rollers and out of contact with therotating means when the engaging means is released.

3. A centering and disengaging device of the character describedcomprising a rotating means, an engaging means, a disengaging meanscomprising at least three idler rollers having at least a portion of itslength tapered, said rollers being engageable with and rotatable by thearticle when said article is rotatably engaged with the rotating means,resilient means urging one of said rollers toward the article, saidrollers being positioned with the taper adjacent the rotating meanswhereby the article tends to ride along the taper and out of contactwith the rotating means unless sufilcient force is applied to theengaging means to overcome the lifting efiect of the taper.

4. An apparatus for positioning and rotating an article comprisingrotating means including a spindle and an article-engaging clutchassociated therewith, means for engaging the article with said clutch,positioning and disengaging means comprising fixed positioning membersand an idler roller having at least a portion of its length 5 tapered,resilient means urging an idler roller into engagement with saidarticle, the larger end of the roller being adjacent the rotating meanswhereby the rotating article will ride along the taper of the roller andout of contact with the rotating means when theengaging means isreleased. 1 1 i 5. An apparatus for positioning :and' rotating anarticle, said apparatus comprising rotating means including as'pindleand an article-engag ing clutch'associated therewith, means for engagingsaid article with said clutch, positioningand' disengaging meanscomprising at least three idler, rollers at least one of which istapered over at least a portion of its length, a supporting structurefor said rollers comprising roller-supporting bearings, the supportingstructure for one roller being movable toward and away from thepositioned article;resilient means associated with the last mentionedsup rt urging the roller toward said article when positioned, saidroller comprising a tapered portion being positioned with the larger endadjacent the rotatingmeans whereby the rotating article isdisengagedwhen the means forengaging the article with said 'clutch is released,and means for disengaging said engaging means from the article. 1 e

6. An apparatus for rotating an article, comprising a rotating meansincluding a rotating spindle and an article-engaging clutch, amemher forengaging the article with the rotating means, a guiding means comprisingat least three last'mentioned support urging ittowardthe axis the latteris rotatably ing means, the larger end of the rollersbeing adjacent therotating] means, a fixed support for 7 two of said rollers, a, slidablymounted support for the third roller to permit movement toward and awayfrom the axis of rotation of the posi tioned article, resilientmeansassociatedwith the of rotation of said article whereby the rotatingarticle will ride alongthe taper of the rollers and out of contact withthe rotating means when the article-engagingmemberis released.

f "7. A device comprisingta frame,a rotating spin- 7 die, a clutch faceassociated with said spindle, a

idler rollers having at least a portion of their length tapered the axesof which are substantially parallel'to the axis of rotation'of thearticle, said rollers being normally engageable with said articleiandbeing rotatable by said article when yoke, at least two idlerrollersmounted therein, a second yoke slidably mounted on the frame, a

roller mounted in the second yoke, resilient means nose piece mountedvertically over said article receiving zone, and means fOr moving saidnose ,piecetoward and away from said zone.

I 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said rollers are tapered over atleast a portion of theirv length, 7

9. The apparatus of claim .7 further characterized in that said rollersare cylindrical for a I a substantial part of their length andaretapered to an increasingly larger diameter through the.

remainder of their length; i t j V SAMUEL c. HURLEY, JR.

engaged with saidrotat

